"Lost in Yonkers" perfectly balances humor, high family tensions at Westlake's Clague Playhouse

The cast of Clague Playhouse's production of "Lost in Yonkers." Back row, left to right: Elliot Lockshine, Jake Ingrassia. Front row, left to right: Jeff Lockshine, Elaine Feagler. James Ely, Clague Playhouse.

WESTLAKE, Ohio—Lost in
Yonkers continues a winning season at Clague Playhouse. The company perfectly
balances high-tension domestic drama with dry and knowing humor.

Originally performed in 1990, Lost in Yonkers was written by Neil Simon, who won the Pulitzer
Prize for Drama for this script. It is here brought to life by director Tyson
Douglas Rand, whose affiliations include the Cleveland Shakespeare Festival and
Convergence Continuum.

The play begins in August of 1942, in perhaps the hottest
apartment in Yonkers, NY. It belongs to Grandma Kurnitz (Meg Parish), who
refuses to turn on a fan even when her family visits. Though she also owns the
ice creamery downstairs, she is not warm to children—even those of her own
blood. After her son Eddie (Jeff
Lockshine) took a yearlong traveling job to pay off a debt, she only reluctantly
agreed to take care of his sons, Jay (Jake Ingrassia) and Arty (Elliot
Lockshine).

Jay and Arty endure their grandmother's strictness, and
witness the damage it has wrought on their live-in aunt, Bella (Elaine
Feagler). Though kind and hardworking, Bella's independence has been deferred
by a learning disability that often leaves her confused, overly excited, or
lost in fantasy. She wants to nurture and be nurtured, but is opposed by her
mother, who sets grimly low expectations for her daughter, and insists on tough
love for her grandsons.

The order of the household is disrupted by the arrival of Uncle
Louie (Chris Bizub). Now a low-level criminal, Louie worms his way back into
his childhood home to wait out some trouble. Though he tries to remain
disinterested, he finds himself drawn into his family's crises.

It is difficult to single out a particular performance for
praise, because the ensemble as a whole embodies their characters so well.

Grandma Kurnitz's is never a simple villain. Her harshness
is protection against the possibility of attachment and the hurt that comes
with it, and Parish conveys this with subtle hints of sadness in almost every
line. Feagler gives herself over entirely to both Bella's character's escapist
glee and lonely desperation. Ingrassia and Lockshine skillfully portray a pair
of kids who are as clear-eyed about their situation as they can be at their age.
As his twitchy role demands, Bizub flips between tooth-gritting patience and
terrifying outburst of anger.

Despite the heavy subject matter, the play never becomes
unbearably tense. Dark comedy fills all but the most climactic scenes. Humor keeps
the audience from leaving horrified, and reminds them of the characters' warmth
and resilience. The play and the company which produces it respect both human complexity
and its audience.

Lost in Yonkers runs
though March 30 at 1371 Clague Rd., Westlake. Performances are Thursdays,
Fridays, and Saturdays at 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets are $16 for
adults, $15 for seniors, and $10 for students. The box office is open Wednesday
through Saturday from 1 to 6 p.m., and one hour before curtain time on performance
dates. For more information, call 440-331-0403 or go to clagueplayhouse.org.

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